Lacey Martin
Hour 7

THESIS:
The book, The Giver, by Lewis Lowry, is an example of a dystopian society. Citizens perceive to be under constant surveillance, and also have a fear of the outside world. The community seems to be an illusion of a perfect society.

REASON #1

QUOTE #1

• Jonas had felt humiliated as the announcement "ATTENTION: THIS IS A REMINDER THAT OBJECTS ARE NOT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE RECREATION AREA." was directed at him (Lowry 23).

ANALYSIS #1

• Jonas had been called out and humiliated after taking an apple from the recreation area. Citizens in this community are under constant watch, and this is an example of a dystopian society. The citizens are corrected for making wrong decisions, and are not trusted that they will follow the rules. Announcements in the community most often point someone out for doing the wrong thing, or reminding them to complete a task that needs to be done. For example, in the novel Jonas experiences his first stirrings. A few moments after explaining a dream to his parents, an announcement came over the intercom, reminding that when you experience your first stirrings they need to be reported and taken care of with medication.

REASON #2

QUOTE #2

• Lily was angry when "We had a visiting group of sevens, and they didn't obey the rules..." (5).

ANALYSIS #2

• This quote demonstrates how citizens that live in Jonas's society have a fear of the outside world. They aren't necessarily scared of what things or people are in the outside world, they have a fear of the differences in rules and society. Lily was frustrated and angry because the visiting sevens didn't follow the same rules as she does in her society. She was frustrated with the way the acted and what they did. Citizens like Lily and Jonas try to avoid the outside society because they think they don't do things the "right way". They have a fear of change and being different, and different people from different societies potentially give them the fear of the outside world.

REASON #3

QUOTE #3

• Jonas asked his parents with embarrassment "Do you love me?" He was disappointed when his father replied with "Jonas, You, of all people, precision of language please..." (127).

ANALYSIS #3

• When Jonas asks if his parents love him, we all expect for them to say, yes. But, with the society they live in they think it's best not to have feelings. This could be an illusion of a perfect society because some people think without love there is no broken hearts. But in reality, love and feelings have a big impact on our lives, for better or for worse. Feelings help us make decisions, and sometimes the wrong decisions, but it's a part of life. Jonas's society has no feelings because they have the fear that it would steer them into the wrong direction. Which in a real world isn't the case.

Lowry, Lewis The Giver New York Houghton Mifflin, 1993